This invention relates generally to the interoperability of system components, and more specifically, to devices and methods to allow two electrical/electronic devices operating on different protocols to communicate.
Telephony networks used by many business enterprises include a network of circuit-switched communications equipment supporting a plurality of terminal endpoints, typically digital telephone sets. The central communications control system is usually a private branch extension (PBX) or key system unit (KSU). Historically, a PBX serves a large business enterprise, typically having more than 200 telephone extensions, while a KSU services a small to medium business enterprise, typically with fewer than 400 telephone extensions. Such telephony networks include a telephony distribution system that manages the processes that result in voice signals being received at, and sent from, the terminal end points.
The typical business enterprise also has a data network that provides access to data services. Such data services are commonly accessed via a desktop computer terminal. The data network accepts and transmits information according to a data format. Typical data formats used by data networks include Internet Protocol (e.g. Internet Engineering Task Force, RFC-0760) and Ethernet (e.g. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 802.3). While Internet Protocol and Ethernet are perhaps most common, other data formats, such as token ring (e.g. IBM Network Protocol), Apple Talk (e.g. Apple Computer Network Protocol), asynchronous transfer mode (“ATM”) (e.g. as approved by the ATM Forum) and digital subscriber line (e.g. International Telecommunication Union, G.99x series), may be widely used.
In contrast to the data network, the telephony distribution system is usually based on proprietary protocols that are specified by the PBX or KSU vendor. The proprietary nature of the telephony distribution system limits interoperability between telephony distribution systems having different vendors to the most basic of telephony control and signal transport functions. Similarly, the differences between protocols used in telephony distribution systems and data networks inhibits, if not precludes, an exchange of information between them. The same is true of dissimilar data networks.
With an ever increasing number of protocols supporting electronic information exchange, there is a need to simplify the complexity of connecting communications devices to a communications network, such as a telephony network or a data network. For example, there is a desire in the industry to allow the exchange of information between a data network and a telephony network, and between dissimilar telephony networks, and between dissimilar data networks. Consequently, there is a need for a device and corresponding method that will determine the protocol of a first network, such as a data network or a telephony network, and that will determine the protocol of a second network, such as a data network or a telephony network, and allow the two networks to exchange information.